Overview

Environmental epidemiology seeks to understand how physical, chemical, biologic, as well as, social and economic factors affect human health. Social factors, that is where one lives, works, socializes or buys food, often influence exposure to environmental factors.

The Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program (EGRP), at the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS), supports extramural research that investigates environmental factors that may contribute to the etiology of cancer. Environmental exposures are largely modifiable; understanding how they affect cancer risk can lead to effective interventions to reduce or eliminate their impact.

EGRP also encourages investigator-initiated grant applications on environmental epidemiology. See also EGRP's interests in Early Life Exposures and Cancer.

EGRP joins with other NCI Divisions, Offices, and Centers and other Institutes and Centers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund grant applications submitted in response to FOAs. EGRP also encourages investigator-initiated grant applications on environmental health topics.

Research Resources

Cancer Epidemiology Cohorts
Cohorts are powerful tools with the potential to address scientific questions not amenable, or unlikely to be addressed, by other study designs like prevention or clinical trials. Evidence generated has also been useful in providing the basis for the design and testing of many preventive, therapeutic, and health policy interventions.

Cancer Registries
This compilation of resources provides links to information on cancer statistics, such as incidence, mortality, and the prevalence of certain risk factors.

Cancer Research Consortia
EGRP supports a growing number of national and international research consortia focusing on intradisciplinary and translational research on common and rare cancers.

Environmental Polymorphisms Registry (EPR)
An ongoing NIEHS project to help scientists screen for genetic polymorphisms in "environmentally sensitive genes." The EPR is available to scientists interested in using data from DNA provided by more than 17,000 individuals, who may be called back for more detailed studies.

PhenX
The PhenX Toolkit provides background information on measures recommended for genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and other large-scale genomic research efforts, along with standard operating procedures, common data elements, controlled vocabularies, a glossary of terms, standard analytic procedures to harmonize similar measures, and an outline of suggested protocols and methods for analyzing GWAS data.

Workshops, Conferences, and Interagency Meetings

EGRP co-sponsors workshops and meetings to convene experts in the fields of cancer epidemiology and environmental research to review the state-of-the-science, identify research gaps, and establish scientific agendas/priorities for the future, such as: